Show Me The Kiwi
by Flipper Boid Skua
Summary: A pet jackrabbit is left behind in the wild. Can she find her way back to her human before a familiar stoat catches her or will the hungry soon-to-be ermine get his meal? And what about a deadlier predator: winter. R&R!


Disclaimer: I don't own the Wild Thornberrys or any of their characters. I just own the OC this story is about.

This was inspired by the episode Show Me The Bunny. I love that stoat and his determination. So I made this story vaguely based on a dream I had (lots of my stories are based off my dreams). Also, I'll burst the bubbles now, the Thornberrys aren't in this story as I feel that the animals themselves don't get much of any credit anywhere… *shrugs* But that's just me.

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Chapter 1

"You'll like this place a lot, my dear." GrandDaddy said cheerfully to his…er….overenthusiastic teenage granddaughter, Kate, who stared out the window of their old pick-up truck, head resting on her hand.

"Oh yeah. I just love how we're moving to frozen wasteland who's inhabitants probably don't even know what warmth is…" she said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Before her grandfather can attempt to make her look at the non-existent Brightside, she continued with a glance at the carrier sitting between them. "Plus, I bet Kiwi will love it, especially since we got her in a desert across the ocean…"

The old man sighed. "There ain't no pleasing ya, is there?"

"Nope, not at the moment…" she replied in what could be the most cheerful tone she had since they arrived here.

Kiwi sat in her carrier, wincing as they hit another pot hole or rock in the road. Although she didn't understand what the humans outside were saying, her enthusiasm matched her owner's. She wanted to be home now. The travel here has been anything but smooth; from her experience riding on the human's Giant Bird (airplane) to this very ride. The only comfort came when her human slipped her the odd treat or muttered sweet nothings to her.

She was a Black-tailed Jackrabbit, raised by Kate since she was a baby. She was a sickly leveret and her mother didn't bother with her during the short visits she paid to feed them. Luckily, Kate came across them and noticed that one of the baby hares looked unhealthy. She took Kiwi to her home and took care of her the best she could. At first, Kiwi didn't accept any of the human's kind treatments but after a while, she got better and calmer and came to love her human.

And right now, she needed her human more than ever as she's never been more uncomfortable in her life. The carrier was lined with soft blankets, but they did little to help the impacts of road obstacles. She wished that they were at their destination already as she was getting sick with this…

Apparently, so was Kate.

"Can we make a pit-stop?" she asked abruptly as the car jerked once more as it ran over yet another rock.

"Why?" GrandDaddy asked as if he didn't already know.

"Becaaaaaauuuuuuse…" Kate drawled. "…we've been on the road for hours! I need a break and so does Kiwi. She's been in that box since we left home!" Ah, sweet Kate always thinking of her bunny first. If Kiwi could understand her, she'd feel a whole rush of loving gratitude for that.

GrandDaddy sighed but does pull the truck to the side of the road. "Alright. We're ahead of schedule anyway and I guess it ain't gon' hurt us if we stopped for an hour or two…"

Finally, Kate put a genuine smile on her face and threw an arm over her elder's shoulder in a hug. "Thanks, GrandDaddy."

"Ain't a problem, my dear. Now go out and have some fun."

Kate laughed softly. "Yeah, right." But she got the carrier as she opened the door and stepped out, immediately shivering a bit despite her heavy coat. Spending most of her life in a warm climate, this took getting used to. She couldn't imagine what it'd be like in the approaching winter.

Kiwi couldn't imagine it either and she didn't want to. She was cold the moment that door opened. Shuddering more than shivering, her large ears flattened to her body and her brown legs tucked under the brown underbelly as the black fur over the rest of her body fluffed up. That's how she always warmed up on the cool desert nights. But it didn't help much here.

"We'll get warmer once we move around." Kate reassured her bunny. Kiwi of course made no response and only shuddered more when the carrier was put down. "I'll get your leash."

As Kiwi watched Kate move off towards the truck, she edged a bit closer to the caged door of her temporary home to get a look at the strange world out there. Rocky ground, a few sparse bushes here and there, and tall clumps of grass. One of the clumps were rustling a bit and she stared at this phenomenon curiously.

"Hello?" she called out, but there was no answer. She hummed thoughtfully and a bit suspiciously. After all, any decent creature with nothing to hide would show themselves. She would've thought more when Kate returned and had she kept watching, she would've seen the head of a weasel-like creature appear.

But she wasn't watching and she backed into the carrier a bit as Kate opened it and reached in for her. She knew it was time to go outside, but she was reluctant with this cold. However, she put up no struggle as her trusted human took her out of the carrier and started putting on Kiwi's red harness.

Kiwi wriggled a bit in Kate's hold. She enjoyed the concept of walk-time, but the ground beneath her hind feet felt unfamiliar and (dare I say it…) cold. She felt much better when she squirmed enough to rest her feet on Kate's lap. There, she relaxed a bit and let the harness fasten around her body.

Her human was about to attach the leash when a strange noise came and a slim-bodied brown creature jumped from the grass into the open, crouched and seemingly ready to spring. Kate froze, staring at this new animal. Closest way she could describe it was to say it looked like a ferret or something.

Kiwi's extra-long ears perked up from the warm-ish resting place of her furred back and she noticed this unknown creature was staring right at her. Alarmed and curious, she was about as frozen as her human companion, both not knowing how to react.

Kate was the first to suspect this small newcomer was a threat to her bunny and was about to stand and put Kiwi back into the safety of the cage when the creature sprung with another raspy growl. With a scream, Kate tried to shield her hare, but Kiwi's instinct had other ideas.

The jackrabbit squirmed and struggled to try to free herself so she can run. But that didn't go as planned, for as soon as she got free, the creature practically tackled her to the ground and bit her, first on her shoulder, then on her neck.

"Hey! Let GO!" Kiwi yelled in both pain and anger as she tried to kick this menace off.

"Not a chance!" the predator responded, voice muffled by the mouthful of fur and skin.

Kate wasn't going to sit by as her friend was being attacked. Without thinking of her own safety, she grabbed hold of the little carnivore's slinky body and tried to pull him off. That got him to let go, alright, and he took his jaws off the rabbit and onto the human's hand.

The girl cried out in pain and dropped the predator, who immediately righted himself and went for Kiwi again. The rabbit wasn't going to stick around to get bitten a third time and took off in fright, her assaulter immediately in pursuit.

Her owner, holding the bitten and bleeding hand, cried out in despair. "Kiwi! Come Back!"

Kiwi has learned many tricks during her time as a pet, one of which was to come when her name was called. But at the moment, she didn't care for obeying the commands as she knew she was running for her life for the very first time. No way was she going to turn around and risk getting caught…at least not until she shook off her tormentor.

Kate, knowing her jackrabbit wasn't going to respond to her pleas to return, turned to her grandfather, who was getting out of the truck in a rush. "GrandDaddy! We have to save Kiwi!"

However, unlike her, GrandDaddy, was more concerned for her safety. "Kate, your hurt! We oughta get that checked out, that thing could have rabies or something!" He began to usher her back to the truck, but she immediately protested.

"GrandDaddy! Didn't you hear me! That THING wants to eat Kiwi! MY Kiwi!" Tears were going down her face. "We have to find her!"

But her guardian was not to be swayed and he took her into the truck, insisting that she go to the nearest doctor to have her bite treated. Despite her struggles and begs and sobs, Kate was forced to get inside the truck. But she couldn't stop looking at the rear-view mirror or staring out the window for any sign of her friend as they sped off for the nearest town some distance away…

Kiwi kept on running for dear life. In a different situation, she might have admired her speed and the raw power of her hind legs, but now was not the time. She's never been harmed by another animal before, but she still knew danger when it literally bit her in the butt. Never had she been more frightened in her life and that was enough fuel to keep her going.

It seemed to be working. After some distance, during which he fell further and further behind, her attacker slowed down and came to a halt, watching her disappear.

He huffed, as this was a fast rabbit that he had no hope of catching up with. But he's not giving up. Not in the slightest bit. He was a stoat after all, and they're notoriously stubborn. He has gotten the scent of this new prey and now he's never going to stop hunting her until he caught her.

He was already hunting for a new target when he first got wind of her arrival. Her scent was different than that of the local hares he was used to and this immediately peaked his interest and his decision was made to have her for dinner. And having seen her, he knew his efforts won't be wasted. She was larger than most of the bunnies here and will probably keep him fed for days. Perfect, since winter was on its way and he had to get enough food to grow his winter coat.

At first, he thought the human his prey was with was going to present a challenge, since he had a problem with the last human who tried to save a bunny. Said issue came from red-headed girl who could talk. He wasn't particularly fond of humans in general, but that Eliza kid did save him from fur hunters last winter and eventually she finally gave up protecting that rabbit. Good enough for him, that bunny proved to be a particularly satisfying meal (gasp!).

But luckily, the current human he was faced with wasn't nearly as much trouble, and he didn't regret biting her when she grabbed him. She had that one coming for daring to lay a finger on his fur, which he had grown very touchy and protective over since that incident with the hunters.

Standing on his hind legs, he scanned the area to see if his prey might still be in sight, but she wasn't. Doesn't matter. Lowering back to all fours, he sniffed and began to follow her scent trail. He might not be able to catch her in a race, but rabbits tire eventually. She'll get exhausted to the point where she will barely be able to move or struggle. And THAT'S when he'll have her…

Kiwi eventually stopped to catch her breath. What was that creature's problem? Who cares…She's lost him, now she won't have to worry about him. Instead a new worry took over and she didn't ponder it for long before she turned and headed for the road where her human would still be. She had enough of a thrill for one day and just wanted to snuggle with her friend again.

Boy, was it getting colder and colder. Must have something to do with the oncoming night and she paused a few times in her journey to shake out her fur and fluff it some more, all the while scanning for that vicious creature in case he showed up again.

Luckily, she didn't run into him as she returned to the place her human was. But something wasn't right. Her carrier was still here, but….the big truck wasn't. Thoroughly confused at this point, she sniffed the ground and the road and could just catch the slightest bit of her owners scent. But where did she go?

"She has to be here. She has to…" she muttered to herself as she went back and forth, sniffing and looking in all directions, ears tall. Nothing but unfamiliar landscape. For once, her shivering did not come from the cold and she backed up off the road. She reared back on her haunches and filled her lungs with the freezing air. "COME BACK! Please…."

No response.

Ears drooping in distress, she glanced around, unsure what to do now. She didn't know where she was or how to get home. She didn't know where to find warmth and she didn't know if there were more monsters like the one that chased her.

"She'll come back." Kiwi told herself in an effort to reassure her swirling mind. "…eventually…" But it wasn't a strong hope. Sighing shakily, she turned and went inside the carrier, the only thing familiar to her and about the warmest place she could think of. It was still very cold and as she snuggled down into the blanket in as tight a ball as she could manage, slightly discomforted by her harness, her nose picked up the extra strong scent of her human, of home, of everything she's lost. Trying not to cry, she knew this was going to be a long night.

And she's never felt more alone….

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My second Wild Thornberrys story and I hope it'll be as successful as my other one. Please Read and review and tell me what ya think so far.


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